Nashik: The upcoming Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat elections scheduled for December 2 in Nashik district have taken on a distinctly political colour. Whether to retain power or wrest control by any means, the prestige of top leaders is now at stake.
Elections will be held in Igatpuri, Sinnar, Pimpalgaon Baswant, Yeola, Nandgaon, Manmad, Satana, Chandwad, Trimbakeshwar and Bhagur. Speeches and rallies by heavyweight leaders like Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Minister Gulabrao Patil, MP Dr Shrikant Shinde, Sushma Andhare, and Sujata Ambedkar have intensified the heat of the election campaign. In the final phase, a flurry of more rallies is expected.
Since local issues are likely to be decisive, these elections will essentially be a battle for the survival of local leaders, even though the top leaders have created a political atmosphere with their rallies. Ministers, MPs and MLAs have thrown themselves into the campaign. Here is a review of where exactly whose prestige is on the line:
Yeola
Yeola has been a stronghold of senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal for the past 20 years. Here, BJP–NCP (Ajit Pawar group) are contesting against the NCP (Sharad Pawar group)–Shiv Sena alliance. Due to his ill health, Chhagan Bhujbal is not actively campaigning, but former MP Sameer Bhujbal is putting in tremendous effort to retain power. Shiv Sena’s MLA Kishore Darade, Narendra Darade, and NCP (Sharad Pawar group)’s Manikrao Shinde are also working hard to get their candidates elected.
Sinnar
Sinnar is the home turf of Sports Minister Manikrao Kokate. BJP, NCP (Ajit Pawar) and Shiv Sena have all fielded independent candidates. Additionally, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) has also entered the fray strongly. As a result, the prestige of Minister Kokate, newly joined BJP leader Uday Sangle, and MP Rajabhau Waje is heavily at stake.
Bhagur
To break the one-sided dominance of Shiv Sena’s deputy leader Vijay Karanjkar, NCP (Ajit Pawar), BJP, Uddhav faction and MNS have come together strategically. Therefore, along with Karanjkar, NCP (Ajit Pawar) MLA Saroj Ahire and senior leader Gorakhnath Balkawade are seen tirelessly working day and night to win voters over.
Igatpuri
In Igatpuri, the contest is primarily BJP vs Others. The alliances include NCP (Ajit Pawar)–Shiv Sena, Congress–Uddhav faction, and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi running independently. A strong tug-of-war for power is visible between the BJP’s Sanjay Indulkar and NCP (Ajit Pawar)’s MLA Hiramani Khoskar.
Nandgaon & Manmad
These municipalities are dominated by Shiv Sena’s MLA Suhas Kande. To topple his stronghold, traditional rival NCP (Ajit Pawar)’s senior leader Sameer Bhujbal, nephew of Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, has put in his full strength. The entire district is watching keenly to see who wins this intense battle.
Trimbakeshwar
Here, BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP (Ajit Pawar) are contesting independently, resulting in a highly competitive climate. While the MVA bloc appears relatively quiet, the Congress candidate shows some presence. NCP (Ajit Pawar) MLA Hiramani Khoskar and former Municipal Council president Purushottam Lohgaonkar are leading the campaign.
Other Key Areas
Pimpalgaon Baswant: NCP (Ajit Pawar)’s MLA Dilip Bankar, Shiv Sena (Uddhav)’s former MLA Anil Kadam, and BJP leader Satish More are making strong efforts to attract voters.
Chandwad: BJP MLA Dr Rahul Aher and former MLA Shirish Kotwal are influential in the contest.
Satana: MLA Dilip Borse is striving to maintain his influence in the electoral battle.
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